The UK has agreed a landmark £4 billion maritime partnership with Indonesia, a move set to safeguard 1,000 jobs across Rosyth, Bristol and Plymouth while deepening security and economic
cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to unveil the agreement during a call with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto from the G20 Summit. The Maritime Partnership Programme (MPP), led by British defence giant Babcock, will support Indonesia in developing new naval capabilities and building more than 1,000 vessels for the country’s vast fishing fleet.
While the ships will be constructed in Indonesia, the UK will provide key shipbuilding expertise, ensuring sustained work for Babcock’s UK operations—primarily at the company’s Rosyth shipyard, with additional roles in Bristol and at Devonport dockyard.
The initiative is designed to revitalise Indonesia’s shipbuilding industry, strengthen coastal communities, and enhance maritime security, while contributing to President Prabowo’s efforts to boost food security and protect marine biodiversity.
Starmer said the agreement demonstrates how international partnerships can deliver “real benefit for people at home in jobs, opportunity and growth,” while reinforcing shared commitments to global stability.
The two nations have steadily expanded maritime cooperation in recent years, with visits from the UK Carrier Strike Group and HMS Spey underscoring closer naval ties. The new programme is expected to increase interoperability, joint training, and collaboration on next-generation shipbuilding technologies, including automation and AI.
Babcock chief executive David Lockwood hailed the programme as “a major investment and commitment” that will drive economic growth in both countries and deliver “positive economic impact across the UK.”
Supported by the UK’s Blue Planet Fund, the vessels will also be part of wider environmental and sustainability initiatives, including fish-stock assessment, marine conservation and coastal resilience projects.
The deal follows a string of major British defence export wins, including a £10bn contract with Norway to build anti-submarine destroyers and an £8bn agreement with Türkiye for 20 Typhoon fighter jets—together supporting more than 24,000 UK jobs.
President Prabowo described the programme as marking “a new phase” in the bilateral relationship, saying it will strengthen Indonesia’s defence sector and create “significant new economic opportunities” for fishing communities.
The partnership forms part of the broader strategic framework agreed by Starmer and Prabowo last year, signalling a deepening UK role in the Indo-Pacific. Photo by [2], Wikimedia commons.